Nine Years Hard Labor

Nine years ago I was cruising the web and came accross an ad for an MGCGT for $1800. The picture looked like it wasn't a rust bucket and it was located close to me. I went to have a look. The car was wedged between two muscle cars and at first all I could see was the left rear fender. It was the fender of an MG Factory Works MGCGTS. There were only six of these all aluminum bodies ever made. At that time they were all accounted for but one. So, there I stood in a field in central Florida, my heart racing, looking at that fender. I raced to the front of the car and my heart dropped. The hood was not the hood of the MGC which had a bubble in it to make room for the larger 6 banger engine. This was an MGB hood. Then I remembered that when MG raced the first car, the MGC was not yet released on the market and so, because of the racing rules, the first of the Works cars was in fact a B. This made it even rarer. One of a kind! I opened the hood and there on top of the valve cover breather it read "OFFENHAUSER". There also ran a rat from behind the master brake booster. Offenhauser made some great racing engines. I was beside myself. OK, back to reality, the only thing about that engine that was "Offenhauser" turned out to be the cap it was printed on. The fenders were all made of fiberglass and the rest of the body was not aluminum. I did not have the missing car. I did have a car with a worn out engine and some very bad fiberglass body work. It was a copy of the works cars. A bad copy. It didn't run, the brakes were locked up and it was a rat condo. So, I bought it. That was the beginning of my sentance. I soon got to know a voice on the phone named Bob at a parts supplier called Brit-tek. If you have a British car you need to know Bob. My first car was a 1958 MGA hardtop. From there I went to a Mini Cooper S then another Mini then a string of MGB's with a Vauxhall and a Jensen FF in there somewhere. I though I knew a thing or two about British cars. I even played guitar in an Irish band (Father Pat and the Gales) for gods sake. Then I began to talk to Bob and found out how much I didn't know. Some day after my wife has passed away I will ask Bob how much I have spent in the last nine years. If I asked today the shock would kill her I'm sure. I never seemed to have time and money at the same time so the project took almost a decade. I rebuilt the engine. I beefed it up a bit. I added a supercharger. I bought all new body work. I bought all new brakes. I bought a new exhaust system. I repainted the new body, I bought new rims and racing tires, etc, etc, etc......... Would I do it again you may ask? Sure, in fact I have already started. My son is now getting his license and we are rebuilding my old MGB for him. I autocrossed that car for a long time and it was my daily driver, so it needs a bit of work and refurbishing. Somewhere, Bob is smiling.